Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to bags having a draw tape. More particularly, the present invention relates generally to trash bags having a draw tape.
Description of the Related Art
Among their many applications, it is known to use thermoplastic bags as liners in trash or refuse receptacles. Trash receptacles that employ such liners may be found at many locations, such as, from small household waste baskets and kitchen garbage cans. The trash canisters are typically made from a rigid material such as metal or plastic. Bags that are intended to be used as liners for such refuse containers are typically made from low-cost, pliable thermoplastic material. When the receptacle is full, the thermoplastic liner actually holding the trash can be removed for further disposal and replaced with a new liner. To avoid inadvertently spilling the contents during disposal, the bags may be provided with a draw tape that allows for constricting or closing the open circumference of the bag. The draw tape may also be tied into a knot to simplify handling of the bag during disposal.
When being utilized as a trash canister liner, it is important that the bag be easily secured into the canister and as the full bag is removed that the open top part of the bag can be easily closed over the contents. U.S. Pat. No. 6,939,042 to Rusnak et al. discloses a plastic bag with a live elastic strip that contracts to restrict the opening.
Another potential difficulty is securing the bag to a canister which is larger than the bag mouth opening. If the canister is larger than the bag mouth opening, then the user cannot fold the bag over the rim of the canister. U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,458 to Belias et al. describes a drawtape bag where the drawtape section is gathered into one or more loops defining a series of crests and troughs, and each trough is sealed to the elastomeric strip. The elastomeric strip allows the mouth of the bag to be drawn over the upper portion of a trash container.
However, consumers still may have trouble inserting stretchy top bags into trash containers. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a simpler and quicker method of inserting and securing trash bag liners to trash canisters. It is also desirable to implement the inserting and securing method in such a manner that it is inexpensive and may be facilitated in a high speed manufacturing environment.